Police say nationally, gangs are on the rise and they expect to see more in Lancaster because of that. Right now, they estimate the city has as many as 10 different gangs.

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For the same reason so many people love to live in the Red Rose city, police say so many gangs form here: It’s close to several big cities.

“Every month we see something that could be gang-related,” said Lt. Mike Winters with Lancaster police.

Just this week, we saw a man known as a gang leader sentenced up to 60 years for murder. Police say Christopher Lassitter ordered two other members of the Bloods gang to kill a woman affiliated with a rival gang. It happened on Old Dorwart Street back in April 2011.

“We weren’t aware that there was a problem between these groups until the homicide,” said Winters.

All of those men will now spend basically the rest of their lives behind bars, police say. Police hope it sends a strong message to other gang members, but fear it could also lead to retaliation.

“It almost becomes a vicious cycle where nobody wants to be the one to step away and say enough is enough,” said Winters.

Winters says it’s not as bad now as it was a decade ago. Neta is the name of the gang that wreaked havoc in 2000. Police say one member even shot an officer in a gun battle on East King Street. Winters says that was a peak of gang activity in the area.

Then in 2007, an innocent 7-year-old girl was caught in the crossfire between two gangs on Andrew Street. Police say the Bloods were also involved in that battle. They say that’s when youth gangs emerged in the city, with some members as young as 10 years old.

“Then you see that ripple effect where more kids are drawn into it. Their friends are bringing other kids and those friends are bringing other kids in and you can see a small gang grow pretty quickly,” said Winters.

Besides the youth gangs, police know of biker gangs, prison gangs, street gangs and drug trafficking organizations in the city. They say some groups are very organized with recruiters, enforcers, even secretaries. Some have as many as 50 members that may even switch from one gang to another.

“It really takes a lot of time and effort to stay in tune with what’s happening on the streets; it’s just constantly evolving,” said Winters.

Police rely on the community for information. They say to be on the lookout for groups wearing common colors or symbols. They hope this common problem for big cities doesn’t become one in Lancaster.

Police are also trying to prevent people from ever joining a gang. Winters provides classes for parents. You can contact Lancaster City police if interested.